Daly’s Parents Prove To Be Long Drivers, Too

John Daly was headed for a four-hole playoff with Costantino Rocca for the British Open title when a thunderstorm hit the Dardanelle area.

Power went out at the home of John’s parents, Jim and Lu Daly.

They jumped in their car and called a friend, Wanda Ferguson, who lived about 2 miles away.

“Her power was on so we took off,” Mrs. Daly said. “When we got there, we missed the first two holes but found out John was leading by two. It could have been a blessing that we missed the first part because I didn’t think I could live through a tournament when John was in a playoff.”

The third hole of the playoff was No. 17, the treacherous Road Hole at St. Andrews.

When Rocca hit his second shot in the greenside bunker, “we started screaming. When it took him three to get out, we realized John had won it.”

The Dalys returned home just in time to get a call from their son.

“John said ‘Mom,’ and I think he was crying. And I said, ‘Son, you did wonderful.”’